This invention relates to a separator for separating liquid droplets from a stream of gas, which separator consists of a packet of wire gause arranged vertically in a pipe and provided with an outlet.
The purpose of such separators is to purify streams of gases from droplets of liquid in cyclic processes and to purify streams of gases which are discharged into the atmosphere in order to prevent environmental pollution.
The pipes are usually arranged vertically in the region of the packet of wire gauze and the packet itself is arranged perpendicular to the wall of the pipe. The gas stream containing droplets is passed upwards from below. The droplets are deposited on the wire gauze and coalesce to form a film and rain down in the form of large drops against the stream of gas. The velocity of the gas stream is thereby limited to a maximum of 4 m/sec because the droplets would otherwise be carried upwards by the purified gas. Owing to the low gas velocity, only droplets with a minimum diameter of 2.mu.m can be removed.
In order to improve the discharge of the liquid which has been separated from the gas, it has already been attempted to arrange the packet of wire gauze vertically and pass the gas through it in a substantially horizontal direction. The film of liquid then trickles down through the packet of wire gause under gravity. If the outflow paths are too long, i.e. if the packet is too high and especially if it has a small cross-section, the film of liquid becomes too thick, especially in the lower part of the packet of wire gauze, so that the liquid breaks away from the film and is carried along by the gas stream in the form of drops. The flow of gas through the packet is therefore again limited to low velocities so that the degree of separation of the droplets from the gas is reduced. If the velocity of the stream is not kept low, the desired effect of obtaining efficient separation also at relatively higher gas velocities would not be achieved.